Pandemic is a cooperative style board game where everyone wins or loses together. It is a style of play that allows for open discussion and helpful to create a unique playing experience where working together is the only way to win.

Pandemic Legacy is by design a non-replayable co-operative campaign game, with on overarching story-arc played through in 12-24 sessions, depending on how well your group does at the game. At the beginning, the game starts very similar to basic Pandemic, in which your team of disease-fighting specialists races against the clock to travel around the world, treating disease hotspots while researching cures for each of four plagues before they get out of hand.

Here is the twist: the game changes permanently as you play. That's right. You will write on the board, tear game cards up and throw them away. As you play this game, it will be come unique to your group. So far, Pandemic Legacy, has been the best coop game of 2015.

360 animals on big cards are waiting for the players of Fauna. Every round a single animal presents itself by name and picture. The 2-6 players try to guess the animal's weight, length, height, tail length and - most important - the areas in which the animal lives on the Earth. The early bird gets the worm: an area on the big map or a sector on the scales already occupied by a player token cannot be chosen a second time. When no player wants to set another token the round ends and the scoring is performed. Tokens on correct spaces get points for the corresponding player, also tokens in the direct neighborhood of correct spaces score points. Tokens not earning points are temporarily out of the game - so risk should be carefully considered. Next round - next animal - starting player changes. The first player who reaches a certain total score wins (normally after 8-12 animals).

Strategy Games

Strategy games, or sometimes called eurogames, usually have themes, but the theme isn't what is important. They tend to see how efficient you can build a farm or erect the best civilization. Strategy games tend to present you complex (or perhaps, elegant) systems designed to create decision trees. I know that doesn't sound fun, but if you love solving problems, you will love strategy games. Most of these kinds of games play in 2-4 hours.

War Games

War games usually cover historical conflicts. Think of learning about WWII, not by reading a book, or watching a movie, but by making the decisions yourself; by taking the role of a commander, you can control the Western Allies in WWII and either recreate the historical outcome or maybe introduce a new time line. It all depends on you, and how the game simulates conflict. There are operational war games (from the 40,000 foot level) and there are tactical games (from the view of the individual squads). They are fun, but they are also studies in history. War games can take from 1 hour to a huge 50+ hours of game play! Remember, some war games recreate entire theaters of war! Most can be played in a day or two.

So what?

Playing games around a table can do several things for you and your friends or family. It will allow you to turn off the digital entertainment, and speak to each other face to face. Have conversations. Enjoy snacks, coffee or soda. Make decisions together. See how each other thinks. Work on your social skills and sportsmanship.

Truly, gaming isn't about the games. It is about the gamers. It is about the people that you spend time with. Learning more about each other and having fun doing it.

Drop a comment below if you are interested in learning more, or in starting your own group. If you are in the Central Florida area, come and game with us!

Info

We meet weekly at the The Rink, 530 Dog Track Road, Longwood, FL 32750 from 6:30PM - 8:30PM. It is our hope that you will find Family Game Night fun for the whole family! With that being said, we ask that children 15 years old and younger, be accompanied by a parent or guardian.